The Girl from Ijtahwy
by Crystal Rose of Pollux
Summary: After the battle against Zorc, 4 Millennium Items remain unclaimed. A search for new priests and priestesses begins, but will the Items fall into the wrong hands? Eventual Seth/Téana; referred to as Sethos/Túaa. Chapter 3 finally posted.
1. The Royal Decree

Author's Note: I am a fan of the Seto Kaiba & Téa Gardner pairing, so I wanted to try a Sethos & Túaa story first to support a later Seto & Téa fic (I know that their real names are Priest Seto/Seth and Téana, but these are the names I have for them, and it's a long story as to why… but I have Túaa's family name as Téana). This won't be a full-out romance fic, though; the main focus will be on finding new keepers for the unclaimed Millennium Items. This fic can be considered a sequel to "Erasing the Cartouches" and a spin-off to "Beneath the Valley." Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, except for Túaa's brothers, the other priest/priestess hopefuls, and the villains. And the final scene of the first chapter was somewhat inspired by the movie _Mulan_.

* * *

"My Pharaoh, what troubles you?" asked Mana, as she arrived one morning to the court. In the past months, she had completed her apprenticeship and finally acquired her late mentor's Millennium Ring. She had relinquished the Millennium Necklace upon acquiring the Ring, and could no longer read into the Pharaoh's mind.

"You needn't worry over me," Sethos promised Mana. "I was concerned for the unclaimed Millennium Items. "You now hold the Ring, and I hold the Rod. The Puzzle has been returned to the tomb of my predecessor. But that leaves four Items unclaimed: The Necklace, the Eye, the Key, and the Scales. It distresses me to think that these Items could lapse into the hands of thieves or incompetents."

"Then we must find some new masters of _heka_ to bear these items," said Mana. "But how do we spread the word without attracting the wrong sort of attention? We do not want another Akhenaden… oh, sorry, my Pharaoh!"

Sethos had frozen at the mention of the name he so despised.

"You are right that we cannot afford to have another traitor," he said at last. "All applicants will have to face us in a series of duels and undergo training. Have the word spread by messenger that the acceptance process will be long and grueling before they can even go within a three-foot radius of a Millennium Item. And make it clear that any and all applicants must arrive in Thebes within one month; that way, only the true best will be ready. See to it, Mana."

"Right away, my king," said Mana.

She bowed and then departed, allowing Sethos to traverse his own thoughts. He headed for the Shrine of Wedju, which was his favorite place to ponder; the _ka_ of his beloved Kisara would be there.

He had not been able to summon her in a long time; his cousin and former Pharaoh Atem, who now slept peacefully in the Valley of the Kings, had requested that the creatures in the shrine to remained in their stone tablets unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully, searching for new Priests and Priestesses qualified as necessary, since Sethos yearned to see Kisara again.

Sethos stood before the carving of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"You'll be free again soon," he promised her.

"_My Pharaoh, I am so sorry…_" her voice whispered through his mind. "_My memory causes you much anguish. I wish you could forget me and move on._"

"Kisara, the memory of you is all I have," Sethos replied, placing his hand on the stone. "No one can expect me to cast it away."

"_And no one is asking you to._ _But you have closed off your heart because of me_," said Kisara. "_I pray that you will find another woman who could give you the light that I once brought to you._"

"You have always been my light," Sethos declared. "And you always shall be. You are not a person who can simply be replaced."

"_Replaced? Of course I can never be replaced,_" she said. "_But I am no longer a person. You have chosen me as you new spirit _ka_, and that is the greatest honor you could bestow upon me. But do you truly want to hold on to my memory?_"

"Yes," he replied, instantly. "The greatest honor I truly could have given you was to have you become Queen of Egypt."

"_My king, you needn't torment yourself for me_," she said. "_Don't let my memory prevent you and Egypt from knowing the kindness of a queen._"

Sethos did not reply to this.

"Can I count on your assistance to aid in the training of the new Item Keepers when they arrive?" he asked at last.

"_Of course, my Pharaoh._"

Sethos took his leave of Kisara and left the shrine.

"_I pray that the new keepers of the Millennium Items will not need to use them_," he thought. "_After everything Atem did for us, it would be a shame for his death to have been for nothing._"

Mana approached him now.

"The messengers are on their way," she announced proudly. "Excuse me; I must tell Master Mahado the good news!"

She headed for the shrine. Sethos watched her go with slight amusement; she must have been the youngest priestess in the history of the New Kingdom. Even _he_ had been slightly older than her when he had acquired the priesthood. But Mana was far more resilient than he was; he was still mourning the loss of Kisara as though she had died only yesterday. Mana still mourned for Mahado, but she seemed to have been able to move on. So why couldn't he? The people of Egypt were looking to him for support; he would have to find a way to move on, for their sake.

"_It's times such as these that I envy you, Mana,_" he thought.

* * *

In the days that passed, the word of the need for new priests and priestesses spread like wildfire through Upper and Lower Egypt. Many hopefuls were already on their way towards Thebes when the news reached the ears of the Téana family in Ijtahwy. They were a well-to-do family; the patriarch, Ráa, had served in some of the military campaigns of Akhunamkhanen and had been well-rewarded for his efforts. He had heard of the untimely death of Akhunamkhanen's successor, Atem, and did not know too much about the new Pharaoh Sethos. However, he felt it his duty to aid this new king in any way he could. He knew some ways of _heka_ that he had taught to the rest of the family as well. Perhaps he could apply for priesthood…. But no; he was getting on in years, and perhaps it would be best to send one of his sons in his stead to serve the king.

His thoughts were diverted by the voice of his daughter, Túaa.

"Father?" she asked, approaching him respectfully. "Dinner has been prepared. We are ready to begin if you join us."

Ráa made the announcement of Sethos's proclamation to his family during the course of the meal.

"You aren't thinking of going to Thebes, are you?" asked his wife, concerned.

"Not at all," he assured her. "But one of the boys, perhaps, could become a priest of the Pharaoh."

Túaa cast a wary glance at her two brothers: Geb-Iah and Mentu-Ra. She had to admit that while Mentu-Ra, who was older than her, could be a possible choice, but Geb-Iah was younger than she was. That meant that her father would have already made his decision.

"Mentu-Ra," said Ráa, confirming Túaa's suspicions. "I have taught you much in the ways of _heka_. I will be counting on you, my son, to serve Pharaoh Sethos in my name."

"But, Father!" exclaimed Mentu-Ra, in protest. "I had told you years ago that I wanted to be a soldier in the Pharaoh's army—not a priest! And you were training me to become one until today!"

"Lord Sethos has plenty of soldiers," said his mother. "The position of priest is one of honor that only few can earn."

Túaa knew that her elder brother could care less about honor; he was a man of action, and had long since dreamed of a soldier's life. He would be miserable and bored out of his wits if he was forced to become a priest, but there was no way he could bring himself to say it.

Resigned to his fate, Mentu-Ra continued to eat, a cloud of misery beginning to form over his head.

* * *

"My Pharaoh!" said Mana, glancing off of the palace balcony. "My Pharaoh, look! They're already coming!"

Sethos crossed to the balcony now.

"Ra, give me strength…" Sethos muttered, glancing at the numerous chariots and horses that were heading for the city gates. "Half of these hopefuls are probably a troupe of fools who don't know how to harness even the slightest bit of _heka_…"

"You do not seem pleased…" said Mana, disappointed.

"Oh, I am pleased that there has been such an… _enthusiastic_ response to my proclamation," he said, trying to count exactly how many people were coming. He gave up when he realized that this was only the first wave of hopefuls; many more would be arriving in the coming days. "It is the task of finding the gems among the mud that I am not so pleased about."

"You could leave that to me, Great Pharaoh," said Mana. "Mahado and I would be more than willing to--"

"Thank you, Mana, but I have already promised Kisara a chance for her to stretch her wings after such a long time," he replied. "Have the applicants hold exhibitions matches with each other first; that will automatically eliminate the fools unable to harness their _heka_."

"If my king commands it…" she said. "Then I shall see it done."

"We'll give them time to rest from their journey and prepare themselves first," said Sethos. "The city gates close in a fortnight, and then the search for new mages will begin."

"Are you not worried that there could be potential traitors hidden among the applicants?" asked Mana, tapping into the powers of the Millennium Ring.

"It does concern me," Sethos admitted. "However, the Items choose their bearers, and I am assuming that they shall choose wisely. Does your Millennium Ring detect anything?"

"Nothing as of yet…"

"Then we shall not worry needlessly over this issue," he declared. "I suggest you take as much rest as you can now, Mana; we shall be having very little of it in the weeks to come."

He cast another glance at the travelers. With a sigh, he retreated to his throne room.

* * *

"Túaa, you're frightfully quiet tonight," her mother said.

"I shall be missing Mentu-Ra," she said. "Do you really think he will become a priest?"

"Your father seems to think so."

"Where is Father?" Túaa asked, noticing that he had left after dinner.

"He is giving Hor-Iah his combat lessons outside the city," her mother replied. "Poor Mentu-Ra wanted to go with them, but your father insisted that he study his spells tonight."

"Do you approve of Father's decision to send Mentu-Ra?" asked Túaa.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked. "The worst that could happen is that he is turned down, and he returns. I used to worry about your father so often when he was on those military expeditions…"

Túaa politely listened to her mother as she talked. After a while, she excused herself, pondering over her parent's decision. Everyone seemed to like the idea of Mentu-Ra becoming a priest… everyone _except_ Mentu-Ra… Somehow, it didn't seem fair.

Túaa was returning to her room when she heard frustrated sighs coming from her brother's room. Standing outside, she could see him going over spell after spell written over several sheaves of papyrus. Every five minutes, he would thrust the papyrus down, reach for his sword, look at it wistfully, and then go back to his studying.

"Mentu-Ra?" Túaa asked.

"Good evening, Sister," he replied, pleased to have an excuse to stop studying. His spirit _ka_, Maha Vilo, hovered off to the side of the room. "Father says I should leave tomorrow at dawn for Thebes. Keep me in your thoughts while I'm gone."

"You do not want to go…" Túaa said, softly. "I can see it in your eyes, Brother. You want to be a soldier."

"I do. But I cannot disobey Father," he replied, going back to his reading.

"_You will not have to…_" Túaa thought. Focusing her powers of _heka_, she summoned her spirit ka, Dark Elf.

"Sister, what are you--?"

"Goodbye, my Brother," said Túaa. "May you become the great warrior you so desperately long to be."

She ordered the Dark Elf to cast a sleeping spell over Mentu-Ra and Maha Vilo. When they were both asleep, she took the papyrus sheaves of spells from Mentu-Ra, hid them in her cloak, and left the house.

It was a short walk to the local stables, where she commandeered the family's prized horse. She rode the horse past the house, whispering goodbyes to her family as she passed.

"_Ma'at, forgive me_," she thought, praying to the goddess of righteousness. "_And grant me glory for when I arrive in Thebes._"


	2. The Thieves by the Road

Túaa rode on for days. She knew she could not stop, for her family would surely have sent someone to pursue her. And if they caught up with her, she would be in for the harshest reprimands of her life. She silently prayed that Mentu-Ra would not be blamed for putting her up to this.

Pausing for only quick stops to eat and drink, she continued on. Her progress had been good; if she maintained her current pace, it would only be another few days until she reached Thebes, days ahead of the deadline Sethos had set. But her plans were diverged by a group of robed men, blocking the road to Thebes.

"Is there… something wrong?" she asked.

"Our comrade is ill," said one of the men. "We sensed that you have an aura of _heka_ around you, and we are hoping that you'll be able to heal him."

Túaa wasn't about to agree so quickly; something didn't seem right at all. Her powers told her that much.

"And… where is your comrade?" she asked.

"He is resting near an oasis," another man said. "Would you please heal him?"

"I'll do better than that," she replied. "I'll ride on to the nearest town and summon a doctor. I believe your friend may be better off in the hands of a doctor, rather than an in-training magician."

She tried to ride off, but felt one of the robed men seize her arm. She had sensed it, and summoned Dark Elf. But she was a moment too late. She was pulled off of her horse, and before she could get to her feet, one of the men leaped upon the saddle and rode off.

Túaa knew that she couldn't attack the thief without putting the horse at risk, so she unleashed her fury upon the other men. Dark Elf lulled half of the thieves to sleep the other half seized their sleeping teammates and retreated.

Túaa recalled her spirit ka, furious with herself.

"_I knew I shouldn't have stopped for them!_" she fumed to herself. "_Now what am I to do!?_"

She would never catch the thieves on foot. She had only one option; if she had any hope of arriving in Thebes on time, she would have to go on, using only her own two feet.

And so she went on, determined not to let anything stop her from applying for priesthood. If she could make it there in time, it would be worth any amount of hardships she had undergone.

* * *

Days went by. Some people were complaining about the massive incoming of people, crowding up the streets of Thebes. The merchants and sellers, of course, rejoiced; their wallets were fattening rapidly upon serving the travelers. While they reaped in profits, the commoners took their petition to the king.

"They're a nuisance, my Pharaoh!" pleaded one woman.

"They're keeping us up until dawn with their mock-battling!" said a man.

"And their yells and uproars!" added another.

"Please, don't let any more of them in, my Lord!" another woman begged. "Is there not somewhere they can stay in the palace?"

Sethos considered the time frame in which he had issued his challenge. Yes; the required amount of time had passed. There would be no room for the stragglers.

"Abandon your fears," he assured his people. "I shall try to alleviate your problems. Mana, send for someone to summon all of the applicants to the courtyard, so that I may address them. And meet me there before I do so."

"At once," she said, bowing. She departed the room as Sethos turned to another attendant.

"Have the gatekeepers close the city gates immediately," he ordered.

The villagers all bowed and praised him, showering him with thanks.

Sethos was pleased with himself; he had done what he could for the villagers, albeit by undoubtedly setting himself up for a migraine once the noisy crowd made themselves at home in the palace grounds. But it would be worth the hassle if a new, stronger royal court would be formed in the process.

* * *

Sheer determination was what was keeping Túaa going after having her horse stolen. Grateful though she was that no worse harm had befallen her, she was still furious that she had fallen for such an old trick. Fortunately, she still had her provisions of food, water, and money. And she also had her brother's scrolls of spells. She had only learned a handful of them; she was banking on having a few days to learn some more. After losing her horse, though, she would be lucky to have even one day to rest.

But as she glanced upon the horizon, she saw something that lightened her spirits considerably: colored a deep vermilion in the light of the setting sun were the gates of Thebes.

Her weariness fell from her, and she broke into a run, pleased at last to have reached the sacred city. But as she approached closer, she noticed with shock that the gates were closing.

"Wait!" she cried to the gatekeepers. "Wait, please!"

The gatekeepers either didn't hear her, or they were choosing to ignore her as the continued their attempt to pull the heavy portals shut.

She was already running at top speed, but she somehow pushed herself to run even faster as the gap grew narrower and narrower. If she hurried, she would just make it through…

But the gatekeepers halted their task to stand outside the now-narrowed archway, blocking her entrance into the city.

"Return from whence you came!" one of them ordered. "No one else is allowed to enter the city, under the Pharaoh's orders!"

"Please, let me in!" she implored them. "I would have been here days ago, but some thieves stole my horse!"

"If you couldn't even stop petty thieves, then you're certainly not what the Pharaoh is looking for in a priestess," sneered another gatekeeper. "Go on home!"

Túaa struggled to maintain her composure; if she went back now, she would have to endure an unbearable shame for the rest of her life.

"I can't go back!" she protested. "Please, you can't send me away!"

Mana, in the meantime, was passing by the city gates when she overheard the commotion.

"Is something the matter?" she asked, surveying the scene. She was somewhat surprised to see a travel-weary young lady, pleading with the guards to let her in.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, Lady Mana," assured one of the gatekeepers, bowing before her. "We were just informing this wandering girl that the Pharaoh has order the gates to be closed."

"But I told you, if my horse hadn't been stolen, I would have been here days ago!" Túaa protested. "This is unfair! The Pharaoh would grant me justice and allow me in!"

"We tried to explain to the girl that such a weak sorceress would not last long in the king's trials," added another guard, ignoring Túaa. "She doesn't listen to us in the slightest."

"Good for her!" said Mana, casting an icy glare at the gatekeepers. "She's right, you know. She has a right to report the theft of the horse to the king, and if it so happens that she wants to stay for the trials, then so be it! Let her in."

"But, Lady Mana--"

"Do I need to repeat myself!?" she quipped, in an uncharacteristically harsh voice.

"No, my Lady…"

The guards reluctantly moved aside and allowed Túaa to enter the city.

"And if the Pharaoh asks you why you let her in, you can tell him that it was upon my orders!" Mana said, as they sealed the gates behind her.

The guards said nothing, but they did grumble under their breath.

"Thank you," said Túaa, bowing slightly before her.

"Come with me," said Mana, her expression softening. "I will take you to the palace myself."

"Oh, I couldn't put you out of your way--"

"Don't worry about it!" Mana said, cheerful once again. "It wasn't your fault that thieves decided to give you a hard time. It happens to the best of us! Why, even my Master, Mahado…" She trailed off, remembering how he went off that day to battle with the Thief King, and lost.

"I heard about that," said Túaa. "And also about what happened to the former Pharaoh, A--"

"Do not speak his name!" gasped Mana. "Sorry, but he… that is, the former king… he had requested that no one shall speak his name. So, you heard of the battle?"

"My father was trying to return to Thebes as soon as he heard," Túaa agreed, nodding. "He had retired from the army, but he still felt as though his place was here."

"Army? Where did you say your family was from?" asked Mana.

"Ijtahwy," she replied. "I am Túaa, daughter of Ráa."

"Ráa…" Mana said. "Yes, I… _kind of_ remember hearing that name before… I was very young when I first arrived here, but I'm sure I've heard of him. Oh, that's right! I remember now; Pharaoh Akhunamkhanen gave him high honors for his accomplishments!"

"That's him!" Túaa said, with a smile.

"Wow, and he sent you to become a priestess?" asked Mana. "He must really believe in you! You'll be great out there; I am sure of it!"

Túaa didn't reply to this; she didn't want to broadcast the fact that her father had intended to send her brother, and that she had left without anyone's knowledge. Nor did she want to mention that she had stolen the horse from her father, which had been later stolen from her.

"Well," said Mana. "Here is where I have to leave you. But I'll hopefully get to talk to you some time later!"

"So do I," said Túaa, trying to look as cheerful as Mana was. "And thanks for--"

"It was nothing," Mana assured her. "Good fortunes to you, my friend!"

Mana left to speak to Sethos, and Túaa joined the large crowd of people waiting in the courtyard for him to appear. She was slightly intimidated by the number of people present; some of whom clearly had far more experience than she did. And although she knew that the guards had only intended to insult her, she was upset by the fact that she had been unable to defend something as simple as a horse, when she would be expected to defend Egypt and the Pharaoh as a priestess.

Mana, in the meantime, made her way back to Sethos.

"You're late…" he said, though he seemed more amused than upset.

"Sorry, my Pharaoh; I was…" she trailed off, noticing the look on his face. "Why are you…?"

"About a minute before you got here, I received a complaint from a couple of the gatekeepers…" he began. "I'm sure I don't need to continue."

Mana grinned, sheepishly.

"I felt sorry for her; it wasn't her fault that she was late," Mana said, coming to Túaa's defense. "You… aren't displeased, I hope…"

"Displeased, no," he replied. "Concerned is a more accurate description."

"Concern?" asked Mana. "My king, my Millennium Ring told me that she was speaking the truth about the incident. I could sense a powerful ka spirit within her, and that is to be expected; she is the daughter of that man that Pharaoh Akhunamkhanen honored that day--"

"Does it not concern you, Mana, that the daughter of a powerful man was defeated by, as the gatekeepers put it, 'petty thieves'?"

"I told her that it could happen to anyone… I was remembering Master Mahado when I said that…"

"But the man who defeated Mahado was no ordinary thief," said Sethos. "Which makes me wonder… Who were those thieves your friend met on the road?"

"If they were thieves, they would have taken everything she had…" Mana realized. "But she still had all of her jewelry and belongings… unless all they wanted was the horse…"

"And why would they only want a horse when she clearly had gold and gemstones with her?" asked Sethos.

"You don't think…" Mana began, her eyes wide.

Sethos nodded.

"_Spies_," they said, in unison.

"Oh, no…" said Mana. "They must have heard about what happened to the former Pharaoh, and they wish to attack us while we are still weak! But whose spies are they? Where are they from!?"

"I know no more than you do, Mana," said Sethos. "But there is one other person who knows more that we do."

"Of course; she would have seen what they looked like…" agreed Mana. "Do you want me to ask her? Or would you rather question her yourself? Or do you want to wait until later?"

"Yes, later," Sethos agreed. "Right now, I need to speak to the assembly over there. We will discuss how to deal with this matter afterwards."


	3. Of Thieves and Elephants

"I welcome all of you to the city of Thebes," Sethos said, addressing the crowd gathered in the forecourt. "For the next few days, you will live and train here on the palace grounds, and then the trials will begin."

There was a quiet murmuring among the crowd.

"You will not be told of the tasks beforehand," the Pharaoh went on. "Learning to cope with the unexpected is one of the qualifications required of a priest or priestess. Trials will begin in three days' time; I suggest that you use that time to rest and prepare, for the ones who pass them to the most satisfactory level will receive the training they need to claim priesthood."

With his proclamation made, Sethos retreated to his throne room.

"Do you want me to send for the girl to speak with you?" asked Mana.

"Yes; it is best if we get a description of the spies now; if they come back, we can have lookouts posted to capture them," he agreed. "Send her in."

Mana bowed and left. Sethos chose the moment of solitude to reflect upon Kisara. She would enjoy the chance to take flight and battle, and he, of course, would be happy to see her again. Ever since he ascended the throne, he had searched through dozens upon dozens of spellbooks in the hopes that he could find some way to reverse the damage that Akhenaden had done to her. But nothing he found came even remotely close to doing so.

But he was also remembering what she had told him a month ago. She had been right; Egypt would need a queen. But couldn't it have been her? He loathed the thought of searching through the entire Two Lands just to find a queen.

"My Pharaoh?" asked a voice.

Sethos turned to see the travel-weary girl standing before him. She wasn't at all what he had expected her to look like; for some reason or another, she looked too… familiar.

"You sent for me, my Pharaoh?" she asked, bowing before him.

"Yes; I have some questions concerning the thieves you met at the roadside," the king replied. "I have reason to believe that they are spies."

"And so they took my horse to hurry back to tell their leader about these trials that are to be held?" she inquired.

"So it seems," said Sethos. "But before I question you about them further, I wish to know the name of the one I am speaking to."

"I come from Ijtahwy, my King; I am Túaa, daughter of Ráa, who was the former commander of one of the battalions during the time of Akhunamkhanen," she said. "He, and our entire family, were at Thebes several years ago when he retired. He was presented with honors that day, by Pharaoh Akhunamkhanen. On that day, my elder brother and I got to speak with the Pharaoh's son. If you don't mind me saying, my Pharaoh, you were present at that meeting."

"_Of course; _that_ is why she is so familiar_," Sethos thought to himself. He remembered the meeting now; it was soon after he had attained priesthood himself. Akhunamkhanen had asked him to ensure the safety of Atem (though Sethos had not known that Atem was his cousin at the time). Sethos had tried to remain aloof during Atem's meeting with the two siblings, but he somehow ended up being pulled into the conversation.

"You wished for me to give you the description of the thieves?" Túaa asked, as Sethos stood in silence.

"Indeed."

"There were a dozen of them, all wearing black robes," she recalled. "They seemed to know our language, but not very well. They tried to trick me by saying that one of their friends was ill, but I didn't fall for it. However, I was distracted, and so they took my horse. I summoned my spirit _ka_; it has the power to lull anyone into a bewitched slumber. I had half of them falling asleep, and the others took them and fled before I had a change to use any more _heka_."

"Half of them were asleep!?" the Pharaoh repeated. "And you say they were on foot?"

"Yes, my king. They were heading away from the western gate."

"Then they couldn't have gone far," Sethos realized. "Mana!"

"My Pharaoh?" she asked, entering the room with a bow.

"Send some soldiers out to search the area beyond the western gate," he ordered. "Tell them to be on the lookout for men with black robes, carrying unconscious companions. And if they are found, have them brought before me."

"At once," she agreed. With another bow, she departed.

Sethos turned back to Túaa.

"I thank you for your help," he said. "I suggest that you return to--"

"We've caught one!" cried Mana, racing back to the throne room.

"Impossible; the soldiers could not have even left yet!" Sethos replied, stunned.

"Oh, they're about to search for the other ones; but _they_ didn't find this one!" she said, her face alight with happiness. "My king, you must see this for yourself!"

Perplexed, Sethos entered the forecourt, where he was astounded to see the new arrivals reacting to the arrival of a large elephant.

"What is the meaning of this!?" he asked.

A blond-haired youth waved from the top of the creature.

"Tell Pharaoh Akhunamkhanen that I have returned at last with the elephant he sent me to get!" the young man called.

"Is that Jono?" Sethos asked, in disbelief.

"Yes!" exclaimed Mana. "Do you not remember? A couple years ago, Pharaoh Akhunamkhanen sent Jono to India to bring him the strongest elephant he could find to use in battle! And not only has Jono returned with the elephant, but he has also captured one of the spies!"

"Who _is_ Jono?" asked Túaa, staring at the giant elephant.

"He is the palace stable-hand," Mana explained. "I was beginning to wonder if he would ever return. And now, he has!"

"Wonderful…" the Pharaoh replied, sarcasm evident in his voice; he and Jono had never gotten along that well, although Atem had viewed Jono with deep respect.

"I see you haven't changed a bit, Master Sethos!" the young man said, with a grin. "Never mind; I must speak to the Pharaoh at once!"

There was an awkward silence.

"Much has happened since you left, Jono," said Mana, unsure of how to break the news to him. "You picked the wrong two years to go abroad."

"What are you saying?"

"_I_ am the Pharaoh, Jono…" Sethos replied, with a roll of his blue eyes.

Jono stared at him for a moment, and then began to laugh.

"Very hilarious, Master Sethos!"

"Jono…" said Mana, in a tone that conveyed the seriousness of the matter. Jono paused in mid-chuckle.

"You… You are not jesting, then?" he asked, stunned. "But… how could he be the Pharaoh? Whatever happened to Prince A--"

"Do not say his name!" Sethos, Mana, and Túaa said at the same time.

"I am sorry, Jono; it has been a trying time for all of us," said Mana. "We will explain everything to you tomorrow; I assume that you are exhausted from your long journey, anyway."

"Yes, I suppose…" he said, realizing that his friend Atem was no longer among them. "Oh, but what about our guest?"

"What guest?" asked Sethos, already having his forecourt filled with magicians. The last thing he needed was _another_ one who needed lodgings.

"Well, I had to bring the elephant's trainer, did I not?" asked Jono, and he glanced at the younger, raven-haired boy who was speaking to the elephant in his own tongue. "Here is where you introduce yourself…"

"Great Pharaoh of Egypt," said the young man, apparently having learned how to speak the Egyptian language from Jono. "I am Kubera, keeper of this elephant. I have been her keeper since five years, and I promise you that she is a good, powerful elephant with much life in her. I shall remain here only as long as it takes to train the rest of your stable-hands in caring for this elephant. I assure you that I will return to my homeland after that."

"And how does a mere child come to be the keeper of an elephant?" asked Sethos, eyebrows slightly raised.

"I am an orphan, great Pharaoh," he replied. "My family used to raise and train elephants for our king, but, one day, our village was raided by thieves." The boy looked away. "By the end of it, I was the only member of my family left, and several of our elephants were stolen. When your stable-hand arrived asking for an elephant and trainer, I decided to sell all of the remaining elephants, and bring this one to you. But you can imagine my shock and horror when I saw the very same thieves from all those years ago scurrying about the outskirts of this very city! My elephant, Ruby, recognized them; she rendered this one unconscious with a blow from her trunk." He indicated the bound thief in their custody.

"And you are certain that these are the same scoundrels who attacked your village?"

"Yes, my Pharaoh," said Kubera, the bitterness evident in his voice. "They devastated the village. That was partly why I was happy to sell most of the remaining elephants; they had ruined my family business so much so that it will be easier to simply start over when I return."

Sethos recalled his first meeting with Kisara, all those years ago. That was when he realized that the thieves who had captured her that fateful night must have been sent from the same source, too. And they had destroyed that village he had been staying in, just as they had done to Kubera's village.

A frown crossed his face; attacking villages, stealing horses and elephants, capturing people… what were they up to? Who sent them? And what was their grand master scheme?

"_They cannot be mere thieves_; _had that been the case, they would have relieved the Ijtahwy girl of her valuables, and perhaps even captured her, as well_," he thought, glancing at Túaa. "_I am more certain than ever that they are spies, and whoever sent them is planning to launch a battle, especially since the Two Lands have been weakened by Zorc's attack. I must progress with the trials as soon as possible; if we are attacked before the royal court is reconstructed, it will mean disaster. It will take the testimony of this girl and the elephant's trainer to prevent such a thing from occurring; I must know more about these spies._"

"My Pharaoh?" asked Túaa, noticing the king's concerned expression. "Is there anything I can do?"

"At the moment, no," Sethos replied. "I suggest you return to the tent that has been set up for you. Prepare yourselves for the tasks ahead. And that goes for all the rest of you!" he added, to the assembled crowd of magicians, who hastily retreated to their tents.

Túaa bowed and left.

"Is there a place in the stable large enough for Ruby?" asked Kubera.

"I am certain," said Jono. "Akhunamkhanen would have prepared for her arrival. You can leave her there, and I will show you to the stable-hands' quarters."

"No," said Sethos. "He has volunteered to leave his homeland to aid us. Mana, show the boy to one of the guest wings."

"Great King, I cannot," Kubera said. "I am but a lowly elephant keeper--"

"You are a guest of the Two Lands," Sethos insisted. "As such, you will be treated as one."

"Then allow me to pay for my stay here--"

"You can do so by telling me everything about those thieves tomorrow," Sethos replied.

Kubera bowed deeply from atop the elephant.

"Rest assured, great and noble Pharaoh, I shall tell you all I know," he replied. "And when I return, I shall be sure to tell my people of the benevolence of the Pharaoh of Egypt."

Sethos nodded.

"Will that be all, my king?" asked Mana.

"For you, yes," he replied. "Jono, see to it that the scoundrel in your custody is imprisoned; I will question him myself tomorrow."

"Yes, my Pharaoh," he replied, and he paused to glare at the captured thief, who merely glared back.

With that, Kubera led the elephant to the stables, and Mana accompanied them to later lead the raven-haired boy to the guest wings.

With a sigh, Sethos retreated to his own chamber and began to pace the length of the room. All of the training he had received in his younger days had been as a priest; never had he imagined that he would one day take on the role of Pharaoh. And yet, he knew that he had to; the dynasty had barely begun. He could not and would not allow it to fall.

Training or no training, he would not let his cousin's sacrifice be in vain.


End file.
